IRRESISTIBLE PEANUT BUTTER GRANOLA

IRRESISTIBLE PEANUT BUTTER GRANOLA

My favorite homemade peanut butter granola recipe!  It’s quick and easy to make, it’s naturally sweetened with honey, and it’s ridiculously, irresistibly, completely delicious.  Feel free to add in chocolate chips if you’d like!

Ever since our wedding day, this handsome husband of mine has been waking up a few minutes early each morning to brew us up a steaming pot of coffee, which he then brings back to bed in warm mugs for a little morning “coffee date”.

And it’s just about the best thing ever. ♡

Truly.  As someone who has never been a natural morning person, rolling out of bed in the morning has always taken an unreasonable amount of effort.  Especially during those many years that I was single, and had to battle it out with that damn snooze button alone.  And more often than not, ended up rolling into my old coffee shop next door with a messy top knot (let’s be real, total bed-head-in-a-bun) considerably later than planned, already feeling behind for the day.  Bah.  Not the best way to begin a day.

BUT.  Fast forward to today, nearly nine months now into this marriage thing.  And I now look forward to waking up to our cozy morning coffee dates literally every single morning.  And amazingly, no longer find myself harboring ill will toward my alarm clock every single morning.  And best of all, find myself starting the day feeling so dang lucky and thankful for this sweet barista of mine every single morning.  As it turns out, those two feels — lucky and thankful — make for a pretty lovely way to begin the day, I’ve realized.  All thanks to some simple cups of coffee.  Love ’em.

That said, after our morning coffee dates, I’ve learned by now that this husband of mine tends to reach for granola 9 times out of 10 each day for breakfast when it’s available.  So I’ve been trying to repay the coffee favor by getting in the habit of making us a big batch of homemade granola once a week to keep our pantry stocked.  Most of the time, I stick to our favorite classic healthy granola recipe.  But lately, we’ve been on a peanut butter granola kick (with lots of chocolate chips, per B’s request).  And after some tweaking, I think that I’ve finally ironed out the perfect peanut butter granola recipe to share with you guys.

It’s easy to make, naturally sweetened with a hint of honey, easy to adapt with your favorite add-ins (nuts, coconut, chocolate chips…you pick!), and downright irresistible.  Let’s make some!

So when it comes to granola, I’ve always been all about a mix of flavors and textures.  So in addition to the old-fashioned oats, I went with a mix of nuts (I went with peanuts), flaky coconut and chocolate chips (both added at the end).  But feel free to nix any of those and swap in your faves if prefer.

The part we can all agree on is that yummy peanut butter sauce that gets mixed into everything.  It’s made with lots of natural peanut butter (the kind with zero added ingredients), honey (or maple syrup), coconut oil (for crunch), vanilla, and a pinch of cinnamon.  And it’s guaranteed to kick your granola up a major notch.  Just mix everything together…

…then bake until lightly golden and crispy, adding in the coconut flakes at the very end, so that they do not burn.  (Also note that the granola will get more dry and crispy as it cools.)

Then let the granola cool until it reaches room temperature, and add in some chocolate chips (or chopped chocolate bars) if you would like…

…stir…

…and serve!

The former peanut-butter-banana-sandwich-loving kid in me (anyone else? ) loves mine best with half a banana sliced on top.  But you do you.  Really, I don’t think there’s any way to go wrong here.  ;)

Then store the rest in a sealed container, and your granola should be good to go for at least a month or so.  Perfect for breakfasts, snacks, or healthy meals in a snap.  And of course, extra delicious after a cup of homemade coffee.  :)

Enjoy, everyone!

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YIELD: ABOUT 4 CUPS

IRRESISTIBLE PEANUT BUTTER GRANOLA

My favorite homemade peanut butter granola recipe!  It’s quick and easy to make, it’s naturally sweetened with honey, and it’s ridiculously, irresistibly, completely delicious.  Feel free to customize with any add-ins that you prefer.

TOTAL TIME: 40 MINS

PREP TIME: 10 MINS

COOK TIME: 30 MINS

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 cups old-fashioned oats
• 2/3 cup nuts (such as peanuts, sliced almonds, chopped pecans, or a mix)
• 1/3 cup natural smooth peanut butter
• 1/4 cup honey
• 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt*
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• optional: 1/3 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
• optional: 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oven to 325°F.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine oats and nuts in a large mixing bowl.  Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, stir together the peanut butter, honey, coconut oil, vanilla, salt and cinnamon.  Heat briefly in the microwave (for 20-30 seconds) or in a small saucepan (over medium heat for 3-4 minutes) until warm, but not bubbly.  Stir again until smooth.
4. Pour the peanut butter mixture over the oats mixture, and stir until evenly combined.
5. Spread the granola out evenly on the prepared baking sheet.  Bake for 25 minutes, stirring once halfway through, and keeping an eye on the granola to ensure that it doesn’t burn.  Remove pan from the oven, sprinkle the coconut on top, and give the mixture a good stir.  Bake for 4-5 more minutes, or until the granola is lightly toasted and golden.
6. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire baking rack.  Let the granola cool until it reaches room temperature.  Then stir in the chocolate chips (if using), and any other optional add-ins you might prefer.
7. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.

source:https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/irresistible-peanut-butter-granola/